Homeless Education Program

Homeless Education (Project ACT- Assisting Children in Transition) is part of the EGUSD Regional Student Support Centers. It serves families and students, including unaccompanied youth, experiencing homelessness who may move frequently, live in a motel room or shelter, live doubled up with friends or family, stay in a campground or recreational vehicle, or live in their car.

Services

This program helps remove barriers for homeless students by assisting with immediate enrollment in school, obtaining records from previous schools, referrals to clinics to update shot records, accessing (when appropriate) special programs like special education, gifted and talented, English language learners, Indian Education, Title I, tutoring, and after-school and preschool programs, including Head Start. Staff provide case management and are available to assist homeless parents and unaccompanied youth with information on local resources for food, shelter and clothing, and can refer homeless children to medical, dental and vision services and may assist with transportation to and from the school of origin.

The homeless education program may provide school supplies like backpacks, binders, paper, pencils, rulers, crayons, colored pencils, etc., so students can participate and be successful in school. The program may also provide hygiene items like soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes, laundry detergent, etc. so that a lack of basic hygiene or clean clothes are not barriers to attending school.

McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act

McKinney-Vento Bill

President Bush signed into law the No Child Left behind Act of 2001, which reauthorizes the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) and went into effect July 1, 2002. The act ensures educational rights and protections for children and youth experiencing homelessness and is intended to facilitate the enrollment, attendance and success in school of homeless children and youth as well as to ensure these children and youth have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education as provided to all others. A summary of amendments and a copy of the legislation is available at:

Financial Aid

Under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA), Unaccompanied Homeless Youth are considered independent for purposes of applying for federal aid; this enables them to apply for federal student aid without a parent signature or consideration of parental income and assets during the aid calculation process. Unaccompanied Homeless Youth should contact their school counselor for assistance obtaining a letter of verification.

College and Career Readiness

California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI)www.CaliforniaColleges.edu
An online digital portfolio for college and career planning.

Assembly Bill 1806 Alternate Graduation PlansAssembly Bill 1806 was signed into law on September 29th, 2014 and went into effect January 1, 2015. It extends some of the protections provided to foster youth under AB 167 & AB 216 to homeless youth as well. There are new mandates with regards to partial credit, and exemption from EGUSD graduation requirements.